ornamental strawberry blossoms and leaves with dew | the DAWN Method

There is a Roadmap for Living with Dementia

How you can support someone living with dementia In 2017 the New York Times ran three articles on Alzheimer’s and dementia. The central piece, “Fraying at the Edges: Her Fight to Live with Alzheimer’s” is a lengthy word and video essay about a woman’s experiences in being diagnosed with MCI and then Alzheimer’s, and beginning … Read more

misty forest path carpeted with red leaves | the DAWN Method

Why DAWN Focuses on the Loss of Rational Thought

Dementia came into my life as it does for many of us—when someone we love gets it. For me, it was a neighbor who had Alzheimer’s and was becoming too forgetful to manage entirely on her own. Her children lived elsewhere and would have to move her into a care facility unless they could find … Read more

peach tulips | the DAWN Method

Give the Gift of Dignity in Dementia

How to help someone with dementia retain their sense of self A very important way to help our loved ones with dementia retain their sense of self is to give them opportunities to be kind and helpful. There is nothing more uplifting and effective at helping us feel better about ourselves than being able to … Read more

Turbulent water in stream

Mean Dementia—Dementia and Being Mean to Family

How to deal with a mean dementia ‘patient’* Why is my mom so angry? Why does my husband blow up when I try to explain something?”  Why does it feel like having dementia and being mean to family often go hand in hand? There is an answer—a way to avoid the anger that so often … Read more

fence and trees with snow | the DAWN Method

How to Enable Choice, Not Restrict it.

People experiencing dementia are losing the ability to use recall, which, when combined with rational thought loss, makes decision-making increasingly difficult. To make a choice, we must first bring to mind the available options. Next, we grade the options for such things as preference, availability, maybe easiness or cost—all while still retaining each possibility in … Read more

house with holiday lights and snow | the DAWN Method

Dementia and Language Loss

This is ME Talking — Not My Dementia! We know that language skills are eventually lost in dementia. But do we really understand what dementia and language loss mean? Let’s be careful that we understand that ability is lost but the desire and need to communicate remains. Here at DAWN, we are person-directed in our … Read more